NOTE: Please do the interactive parts if you can!
Maya pulled Azlan to the side, still trying to process the new information.
"Wait, why do you want to break up with Mary-Anne?"
"I don't want to", said Azlan.
"Look, I'm a handful, ok? I'll only be weighing her down."
"Azlan, what are you talking about?"
"I'm an embarrassment, Maya! She always looks away from me whenever I lose my balance in public. She never wants to watch movies with subtitles. And back at mine, I-I saw this sad look on Aunt Nora's face. Maya I can't deal with her looking sad whenever Mary-Anne is around."
Maya remained silent for a painfully long moment. She knew what she wanted to say, but she wanted to make sure it wouldn't cause Azlan any pain.
"None of this is your fault.
I...I think there's been a communication breakdown.
Talk to her.
Tell her how you really feel."
Azlan nodded.
"I'll go and talk to her later. Thanks, Maya."
Before Maya could respond, a pair of hands grabbed Azlan and pushed her into the store cupboard.
"What the-Quinn?"
Quinn nodded.
"I overhead you and Maya. You listen to me, ok? If she can't put in the effort to embrace a small part of what makes you who you are, then she isn't worth the time or the effort.
Dump her a**, Azzy."
"But... I really like her."
Quinn's face softened.
"You can like someone but choose yourself over them."
"I don't get it."
Quinn sighed.
"Ok, quick story time. There was a girl who really liked someone else. And I mean really liked them. She'd always be around this person, desperate to be with them as often as they could. It was good for a while. Until one day, the girl found out that they found someone else."
Azlan frowned. "Oh no."
"Yeah. In that moment, the girl realised that she had to put herself first. She didn't do it for herself though. She did it for the person she loved. Because she knew it'd tear them apart if they knew how much she was hurting. How much she was hiding. So you see, you can care about Mary-Anne... but if she isn't caring about you in the same way, you need to put yourself first."
___________________________
Yukishiro spotted Bennett standing on his own in a corner. He downed his cup of Fanta and strided over to him. "Bennett! Hey!"
Bennett just nodded his head at him.
"So, are you having fun?", asked Yukishiro.
"Yeah. This place is a barrell of laughs", he replied, the sarcasm in his tone almost palpable.
"Do you want to dance?"
"Sorry, is there a reason you came over?", questioned Bennett.
"Uh... I don't know what you're going through. But I know what it's like to feel... a bit cráppy. Quinn and Azlan helped me feel less cráppy", replied Yukishiro.
"Your point?", asked Bennett.
"You don't have to love us like your family. Not if you don't want to. But we're still here, you know?"
________________________
Quinn and Azlan approached Maya. She had her arm around Azlan, whilst the other girl just stared at the ground.
"Hey", said Quinn.
"What happened?", questioned Maya.
"I broke up with her", frowned Azlan. "I just couldn't see it working."
Maya's eyes widened, but her face softened a second after. She pulled the girl into a hug.
"I'm so sorry. That sucks."
"MAYA!", yelled Elodie.
Maya froze when she saw Elodie approaching her.
"Y-Yeah?"
"Don't play the shy girl act with me", said Elodie. Her usually chill vibe had changed dramatically.
"You have everyone fooled. But not me. My best friend's crying her eyes out right now! I saw you talking to her earlier."
"Maybe that's your friend's fault", defended Quinn.
"You won't be defended Maya when you hear about what she's done", said Elodie.
Maya's eyes widened.
"Elodie, please-"
"-We were really close! Being paired up as science partners was the best thing that ever happened to me. My Dad was ill for a long time but things actually seemed to be looking up."
"We all know about your Dad", frowned Azlan.
"But what does this have to do with Maya?"
"On the night my Dad died, I called Maya. I texted her and she read the message. Read it and didn't even reply. I begged her to come to the funeral. She didn't. She never once asked how I was and started to avoid me altogether", continued Elodie.
The AI Club gathered around them, with the exception of Silas and Katie. Quinn looked at Maya, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Maya, is this true?"
Everything before that moment had been a blur. A secret she had buried so deep was now out. How long would it be before her other secrets spilled out?
Quinn's eyes widened, the look of confusion on her face only making things worse.
"You did..."
"Why?", questioned Azlan.
But Maya couldn't answer. She couldn't tell them about her struggles. She couldn't tell them that her mistake ate away at her every day.
She couldn't explain why.
Maya glanced at Elodie, but to her surprise, the girl didn't look happy to see her world crumble. She looked defeated.
Like she wanted to do anything but this.
In that moment, Maya realised just how much she had hurt Elodie.
"I knew it. She's a liar", snarled Bennett. The venom seeping from Bennett's voice startled Maya.
She had never seen him so disgusted.
"I-I...", started Maya.
Unable to face them, she quickly turned around as ran as fast as she could.
Yukishiro watched her as she left, a sad expression on his face.
"Maya..."
Silas rushed towards them, beads of sweat sliding down his face.
"Guys! Katie won't stop shaking!", yelled Silas.
______________
Hi.
Katie's in trouble! What happened? And will she be ok?
Maya's secret is out! Well, part of it. I know I wrote it in her form, but after getting to know Maya, are you shocked at what she did?
Has anyone changed their mind about Elodie after hearing her side?
Quinn really is a great friend. I wonder who the girl from her story is?
Do you think Azlan did the right thing by breaking up with her?
What are your thoughts on this chapter?
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